Climbing device



w. E. SWAGER CLIMBING DEVICE Oct. 24, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WILL /AM E. SWAGER Filed Feb. 16, 1965 Oct. 24, 1967 w. E. SWAGER 3,34s,632

CLIMBING DEVICE Filed Feb. 16, 1965 /N l/ENTOR F-5 WILL/AM E SWAGE/z' 3 Sheets- -Sheet 2 Oct. 24, 1967 w. E. swAGER 3,348,632

CLIMBING DEVICE Filed Feb 16, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 64 66\ l ,64 J 7 v T T i;

I INVEIWOR WILL/AM E. SWAGER A AORNEY United States Patent Ofice 3,348,632 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 3,34s,632 CLIMBING DEVICE William E. Swager, R.R. 2, Fremont, Ind. 46737 Filed Feb. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 433,145 Claims. (Cl. 182-230) This invention relates to a climbing aid comprising an H-rail and a safety mechanism vertically slidable thereon and secured to the body of a climber upon -a wall, ladder or the like; for instance, a tower having a ladder with rungs thereon for use by the climber in ascending the wall.

More particularly the invention is directed to a novel combination of a safety fastener and an H-rail to which the fastener is adapted for latching cooperatively to a flange as a supporting beam, or alternately to 'slide vertically or to latch thereto in latching and unlatched condtions of the mechanism, cooperative with the movement of the climber ascending or descending.

The invention further includes means for further securing an H-beam as a track for sliding support of a safety latching means, to a wall ladder, whereby a conventional ladder means may be used to demountably support an H-beam on the flange of which a safety gripping means may ride and be -slided vertically as a safety device for a climber mounting the ladder.

The invention includes means for grippng a curved ladder and H-rail, including a safety device slidably mounted upon its curved flange thus to support and provide safety to a climber upon an arcuately shaped ladder; for instance, a ladder secured to the curved surface of a spherical container or the like.

The invention is further described with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the grippng means as it is mounted on an H-rail;

FIG. Z is a side elevation of the H-rail and safety device thereon in a clamped position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary View of the clamping means in unlocked or unclamped position;

FIG. 4 is a top view through the H-rail with the safety device in clamped position thereon;

FIG. 5 illustrates a clamping means in front elevation for securing an H-rail to a rung of a ladder;

FIG. 6 is an end view thereof in side elevation;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the clamping means securing a section of the H-rail to a rung of the ladder;

FIG. 8 is a perspeetive View of a modification of the safety clamp; and

FIG. 9 illustrates two safety clamps latched together in tandem for use on an arcuate H-rail.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numbers represent like parts in the several views, the safety clamping device comprises a carriage 10 having parallel vertical side rails 12 integrally secured together by a web 14, which tenninates short of opposite ends to accommodate upper roller 16 and the lowe-r rollers 18. The vertical side rails 12 and connecting web 14 by the Construction described are suitably formed integrally in a single casting. The lower rollers 18 are split to allow the web of the H-rail to pass between them. Upper rollers 16 are spaced with respect to lower rollers 18 to receive and slidably engage one flange 20 of an H-rail 22 for firm sliding movement of the carriage therealong with only suflicient clearance to avoid binding so that the carriage rolls smoothly and firmly on the flange 20.

The inner wall of the side rails 12 are integrally joined to a pair of protective side shields 24 which are bored at 26 to receive a pivot pin 28 which is supported at both ends in the parallel shields, thus to provide a pivot shaft upon which a locking arm 30 having an eccentrically disposed edge 34 is pivotally mounted upon the pivot 28 i normal to the surface of the flange 20 for radial movement for locking and unlocking engagement with the flange 20, as will appear. The lock shaft 30 comprises a thick plate-like member carrying several teeth 34 or grippng elements eccentrically disposed thereon with respect to the pivot pin 28. The lower portion thereof, 32, is arcuate and has tooth-like serrations 34 which grip the rail 20 in the lower position of FIG. 2, the serrations in contact with the rail 20 locking firmly thereon. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the teeth 34 are wide and grip the flat surface of the flange 20 in firm eccentric locking engagement in the lower engaging position of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 exhibits the same serrations 34 lifted from engagement with the flange 20 by pivotal movement of the plate 30 about pivot 28 in the direction of the arrow 36 which, by eccentric or cam motion disengages the teeth 34 from the surface of the flange 20 allowing free sliding movement of the carriage 10 in free vertical movement up or down upon the H-rail 22 in either direction of the arrows 38. A pair of tension springs 40 each have one end fastened about a pin 42 and the other end about a pin 44, which together resiliently bias the plate 30 with the teeth 34 into locking engagement of the locking cam with the surface of the flange 20.

Thus the device in normal position of the locking arm 30 biased by springs 40 engages and locks the carrage 10 to the surface of the flange 20 against movement in any direction. The plate 30 has an eccentric or angular supported lever or corner extension of its upper edge 47 which is bored at 46 to receive an end link 50 of a chan or cable 48, the other end being attached to the belt of a climber using the safety device. The climber pulls upon chan 48 forcing the plate 30 thereby to rotate on its pivot 28 in the direction of the arrows 35 and 36, withdrawing the teeth 34 out of engagement with the surface of the flange 20 so that the device is unlocked and free to move up or down upon the H-rail with the movement of the climber, unlocking the device as he pulls the chan, and automatically relocking as he releases the tension of the chan, the springs 40 biasing the plate 30 into locked engagement. Thus the cam-like rotary motion provides locking engagement of the plate 30 and teeth thereon 34 with the flange surface and in reverse rotation manual disengagement of the locking teeth with the flange surface by pulling upon the chan 48.

To avoid extreme distension of the springs 40, the after end of the cam surface at 51 is extended to form a shoulder which will ultimately bear against and engage the pin 53 as a stop, preventing further upward movement. Thus, the shoulder 51 bearing against stop 53 is the disengaged position of the cam surface and teeth 34 with the flange 20. If the climber stops or falls, however, the release of upward tension upon chan 48 allows the plate 30 to lock automatically by rotary bias under tension of the springs 40 of the teeth 34 upon the flange 20.

The protective shields 24 in addition to support of the pivot pin 26 therebetween, and the locking arm or plate 30 for rotation thereon, by its extended walls along a large portion of the length of the carriage, protectively enclose the springs 40 to avoid snagging of rope or chan elements 48 with the safety device. In this manner the device is rugged and continuously operative as a safety lock free to move only when the climber applies positive tension releasing the lock, automatically relocking when the climber relaxes the tension thereon.

The device as described thus far has the further advantage that quite free, non-binding sliding movement is available to the long carriage by being mounted upon a comparatively wide rail gripped by free rotating rollers spaced for easy clearance of the rail flange therebetween. Moreover, very strong firm and immediate gripping is provided by the preferred wide serrated edge of the thick plate 30 pivoted in cam movement to engage a wide portion of such rail. While, as shown. the width of serrations correspond to the thickness of the plate 30, they may be made as wide as the distance which shields 24 are separated for greater; that is, longer toothed, gripping eifect upon the H-rail surface.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the rail 22. may be clamped by one or more, sometimes several, suitable clamping means 52 to one or more rungs 54 of a ladder having side rails 56. The clamping means 52 preferably comprises an outer plate 57 having a cross strap 58 bolted by fasteners such as bolts and nuts 60 from diagonal corners of the plate to each opposite end of the strap. The center of the strap 58 is arcuately bent at 62 to diagonally fit over a ladder rung 54 and firmly grip the same by the fastening bolts and nuts 60, securing the rung between the strap 58 and plate 56. In this manner the inner side of the plate and strap secure the H-rail to a rung of the ladder as in FIGS. and 6. The heads of bolts 60, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, are counter-sunk at 64. The plate 52 has a T-groove or channel cut longitudinally to accommodate the opposite flange 66 of the H-rail 22 in sliding fit. However, when the bolts 60 are tightly fastened in the counter-sunk portion 64 of the clamping plate 57, the head of the bolt will grip the edge of the H-rail flange 66 as shown in FIG. 7 and secure the same tightly within the plate 57 and in turn by the strap 58 to the rung 54 of the ladder. It will be seen that by merely loosening the bolts 60 without completely removing the fastening plate and strip from the ladder rung, the flange 66 will be freed sufiiciently to allow vertical sliding movement of the H-rail to a changed position.

In a modified form illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, a safety gripping device is provided which is suitable for operation upon a curved rail shown somewhat exaggerated in the arcuate rail 70 of FIG. 9. The curved H-rail 70 is disposed horizontally, but usually it will be disposed relatively vertically on the curved shape of a spherical storage tank ladder or the like. The modified form of safety gripping device shown has the carriage considerably shorter with respect to the spacing of the forward and after rollers 16 and 18. The cam surface 72 of the locking arm 74, moreover, is spaced to engage a convex surface of the H-rail arcuately curved upwardly toward the cam surface 34, the lower position of the cam surface 34 being biased into rotary movement by a spring 76 bearing the teeth 34 downwardly against the arcuate flange surface 78. The spacing of the before and after rollers 16 and 18 are, therefore, such as to accommodate the specific curvature of the H-rail to allow locking engagement therewith. Moreover, to accommodate the stubby construction necessary for operation upon a curved H-rail, a coil spring 76 is mounted on each side of locking arm 74, biasing the cam portion 32 and teeth 34 against the curved surface of the arcuate flange 78.

Suitable stops (not shown) secure the springs 76 to the stubby side rails 80 comprising the carriage. The side rails 80 are spaced by bolts 82 on which the rollers 16 are rotatably mounted to complete spacing of the side rails and provide a channel for rotation of the locking arm or shaft 74 therebetween. Each side rail has a raised boss 84 at the center through which is mounted a pivot shaft 86 passing through opposite side rails securing and supporting the lock shaft 74 for pivotal movement thereon. The upper after end 88 of the locking arm 74 forms a stop which engages a pin 90 stopping the rotary movement of the locking arm 74 in unlocked position. In normal operation, however, the springs 76 will bias t-he pivotal movement of the locking arm 74 in the direction of the arrow 92 into locking engagement with the arcuate surface of the ange 78. The lower cam surface 32 of the locking arm 74 similarly carries serrations (teeth which are not shown) which grip the curved flange surface 78 in the same manner as described above for FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The opposed forward end of the locking arm is divided or forked into an elongated yoke comprising two arms 94 connected by a pin 96 about which a cross bar 98 adapted to yoke or tie together a pair of such safety locking means is mounted. The pair of safety locking elements are pivotally yoked together by the bar 98 as shown in FIG. 9, the yoke bar 98 being correspondingly bored to receive both pins 96 at each end. A second pair of cross bars, links 100 are faastened at the lower end of the contiguous side rails through bolts 82.

Thus in the assembly of FIG. 9 the carriages are linked together by cross bars 100 for sliding movement as a unit and the bars 98 link their corresponding pair of locking arms 74 together for simultaneous locking and unlocking movement in a rotary direction of both locking arms 74. The upper or left-hand' lock shaft has several chain links 48 attached through the yoke 96 which terminates in a hook 104 adapted to hook to the belt of a climber using the tandem linked pair of safety devices.

Thus in operation upon an arcuate rail 70 it has a pair of stubby safety carriages linked together and mounted thereon. They are operated to have double clamping elfect by being yoked together and unlatched by being attached to the climbefs belt by chains. As the climber climbs up an arcuate surface such as a ladder on a large spherical container to which the rail 70 is secured, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, a double safety locking eifect is provided in the tandem linked locking devices.

Certain modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and, accordingly, it is intended that the description heren be regarded as illustrative and not limiting except as defined in the claims hereof.

I claim:

1. In a safety locking device, the combination of a sliding locking carriage having a set of rollers spaced longitudinally at upper and lower ends and counter rollers parallel to and cooperative with said first set of rollers to receive in sliding engagement between said rollers a wide fiat flange of a supporting rail, with said first set of rollers slidably engaging the flange on an inner surface and the second set of rollers on ar outer opposite surface, the clearance between both sets of rollers corresponding substantially to the thickness of said flange for easy sliding rolling movement of said carriage upon said flange when engaged and supported by said rollers, a pivotally mounted locking arm in said carriage for pivotal movement in a plane normal to the said outer surface of said flange, said arm having a wide serrated flange gripping end having a series of gripping teeth extending from side to side thereof eccentrically disposed with respect to said pivot for eccentric movement of said end, to grippingly engage the outer surface of said flange by bearing eccentrically upon and thereby safely gripping a wide surface area of said flange in the pivotal movement of said locking arm, and resilient spring means mounted in substantial tension between said arm and said carriage, biasing said arm into firm teeth engaging, locking grip to the outer surface of said flange, stop means on said carriage positioned to intercept an inner end of said arm and stop rotary movement of said arm when moving against said spring tension, said arm having an opposite end extending outward from said carriage as a lever and for eccentric tooth gripping disengagement from the outer flange surface upon opposite movement of said lever by a user of said device.

2. The safety device of claim 1 wherein the supporting beam is an arcuately curved H-rail and the rollers of said carriage and locking arm therein are spaced to slidingly receive and bear substantially across the entire width and against the outer surface of a curved flange of said curved H-rail in sliding movement thereon, both in locked and unlocked engagement with the said locking arm.

3. The safety device of claim 3 comprising a pair of safety locking devices each mounted in tandem upon the arcuately shaped H-rail, both safety devices being Secured together by yoke arms, said yoke arms consisting of lower yoke arms' securing the pair of carriages together for combined sliding movement thereof in tandem, and another yoke arm securing both locking arms together for combined pvotal locking movement of both locking arms of the pair upon the arcuate flange of said H-rail.

4. In a safety device the combination of a pair of locking devices each having a carriage mounted in tandem, roller means at each end of a carriage for supporting and securing said carriage in sliding movement upon a flange of an arcuately curved H-rail, a locking arm in each carriage mounted upon a pivot within the -carriage for pvotal movement normal to the surface of said flange, said rollers and locking arm in each carriage being spaced to slidingly receive and bear a substantially Wide distance against the curved outer surface of said flange in sliding movement thereon, each locking arm comprising a thick plate having a series of wide gripping teeth upon anedge thereof eccentrically disposed with respect to said pivot and spaced therefrom to bear upon and grip a Wide surface area of said fiange in its pvotal movement, resilient spring means biasing each arm into locking engagement with the surface of said flange, both of said locking arms being secured together by yoke arms consisting of lower yoke arms securing the pair of carriages together for combined sliding movement thereof in tandem and another yoke arm securing both locking arms together for combined pvotal locking movement of both locking arms upon the arcuate flange of said H-rail.

5. A safety device c-omprising a pair of locking devices supported together in tandem upon the flange of an arcuately shaped H-rail, each having a slidable carriage slidably fastened to said rail, a locking arm pvotally mounted in each carrage having a serrated en-d adapted to bear in pvotal locking engagement against the exposed surface of the outer fiange of said H-rail, resilient spring means biasing each locking arm into locking engagement With the surface of said flange, both of said locking arms being secured together at their outer ends by a yoke arm and means for fastening both of said carriages together in sliding engagement upon said fiange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,576,210 3/1926 Nickson 182-5 1,676,272 7/1928 McEWen '189-36 1,927,469 9/1933 Plumpton 182-8 2,280,361 4/1942 Ac'kerman 189-36 2,538,904 1/1951 Herod 182 8 2,616,609 11/1952 Herod 182-8 3,100,033 8/1963 Hanson 189-36 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,336,836 7/1929 France.

539,544 9/ 1941 Great Britain.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Pr'mary Exam'ner. 

1. IN A SAFETY LOCKING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF A SLIDING LOCKING CARRIAGE HAVING A SET OF ROLLERS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY AT UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND COUNTER ROLLERS PARALLEL TO AND COOPERATIVE WITH SAID FIRST SET OF ROLLERS TO RECEIVE IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID ROLLERS A WIDE FLAT FLANGE OF A SUPPORTING RAIL, WIT SAID FIRST SET OF ROLLERS SLIDABLY ENGAGING THE FLANGE ON AN INNER SURFACE AND THE SECOND SET OF ROLLERS ON AN OUTER OPPOSITE SURACE, THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN BOTH SETS OF ROLLERS CORRESPONDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE THICKNESS OF SAID FLANGE FOR EASY SLIDING ROLLING MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE UPON SAID FLANGE WHEN ENGAGED AND SUPPORTED BY SAID ROLLERS, A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED LOCKING ARM IN SAID CARRIAGE FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE, SAID ARM HAVING A WIDE SERRATED FLANGE GRIPPING END HAVING A SERIES OF GRIPPING TEETH EXTENDING FROM SIDE TO SIDE THEREOF ECCENTRICALLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID PIVOT FOR ECCENTRIC MOVEMENT OF SAID END, TO GRIPPINGLY ENGAGE THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE BY BEARING ECCENTRICALLY UPON AND THEREBY SAFELY GRIPPING A WIDE SURFACE AREA OF SAID FLANGE IN THE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LOCKING ARM, AND RESILIENT SPRING MEANS MOUNTED IN SUBSTANTIAL TENSION BETWEEN SAID ARM AND SAID CARRIAGE, BIASING SAID ARM INTO FIRM TEETH ENGAGING, LOCKING GRIP TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE, STOP MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE POSITIONED TO INTERCEPT AN INNER END OF SAID ARM AND STOP ROTARY MOVEMENT OF SAID ARM WHEN MOVING AGAINST SAID SPRING TENSION, SAID ARM HAVING AN OPPOSITE END EXTENDING OUTWARD FROM SAID CARRIAGE AS A LEVER AND FOR ECCENTRIC TOOTH GRIPPING DISENGAGEMENT FROM THE OUTER FLANGE SURFACE UPON OPPOSITE MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER BY A USER OF SIAD DEVICE. 